Setting two alarms to get up in the morning? Hitting the snooze button every few minutes? If this sounds like you, the idea of being a morning person might seem like a distant dream.
According to The Body Clock Guide to Better Health, only 1 in 10 people are “true” morning people, but the good news is that only 2 in 10 fall into the category of night owls. While the rest of us fall somewhere in between, there are some simple tips and tricks we can all follow to train ourselves into becoming the morning people we all dream about.
>> ARE YOU WORRIED YOU MIGHT HAVE SLEEP APNEA? TAKE OUR QUIZ! <<
Stick to a Schedule
Morning people have made early rising a habit and it’s possible to change your habits. According to Jeff Sanders, a productivity coach and author of The 5 A.M. Miracle: Dominate Your Day before Breakfast, it’s important to stop using technology by 8PM at night.
Blue light suppresses melatonin, so start shutting down laptops, phones, etc. and start preparing for bedtime. If you’re in bed by 10 or 10:30 PM your body will feel better rested when you wake up in the morning.
Wake Up to Natural Sunlight
Our brains are sensitive to light which is the reason we may not sleep as well after a certain time in the morning. Utilizing sunlight as a natural aide to waking is a powerful way to force your body to wake up in the morning.
Place your bed in a location where the sun can wake you or try a light box that emits light which is similar to sunlight.
Stop Hitting Snooze
You may think that hitting that hitting snooze is a way to grab a few extra minutes of sleep but it actually interrupts the sleep cycle and we end up feeling groggy when we wake up. Try placing your alarm clock away from the bed or set your alarm to a song or sound you like waking up to.
Exercise
At the end of a busy day, it’s easy to find excuses not to exercise, and research has actually proven that your willpower is higher in the morning. Give yourself an extra energy boost by planning your workouts for the morning. Boost your metabolism, start your day off with enthusiasm and enjoy your evenings winding down.
Do Something Productive
Establish rituals such as sitting down to eat breakfast or setting your clothes out the for the next day. Make your bed and take time to get ready instead of rushing out the door. The small things add up and sticking to simple routines leads to the start of positive habits.
If you find that even after becoming a morning person, you are still falling asleep at the wheel, lack motivation or feel lethargic you might have sleep apnea.
Take our sleep quiz to find out.
Are you a self-declared morning person? What are some of the personal routines you do to conquer the morning? Let us know on Facebook or Linkedin.
